Universal rolling mill



July 23, 1963 e. MORATH ETAL 3,093,404

UNIVERSAL ROLLING MILL Filed Aug. 4, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 2 Fig.1

INVENTOQS "1 HWa/[d/u/Ia y 3, 1963 G. MORATH ETAL 3, ,4

UNIVERSAL ROLLING MILL Filed Aug. 4, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 [NI/EN TORs G.H0rwb]?/ HWLZ Lima) I Klileumazzzz/ JV ATTY July 23, 1963 e. MORATH ETAL UNIVERSAL ROLLING MILL 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 4, 1959 as sea l/VVEN 70 R 38 Fig. 5

y 3, 1963 G. MORATH ETAL 3,098,404

UNIVERSAL ROLLING MILL Filed Aug. 4, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 FIG.7

INVENTORS K. NEUMANN United States Patent 3,098,404 UNIVERSAL ROLLING MILL Giinther Morath, Walter Waidura, and Karl Neumann, all

of St. Inghert, Germany, assignors to Moeller & Neumann G.m.b.H., St. Inghert, Germany Filed Aug. 4, 1959, Ser. No. 831,666 Claims priority, application Germany Aug. 8, 1958 6 Claims. (Cl. 80-55) The present invention relates broadly to the art of metal working, and more particularly, it relates to a rolling mill of the type that can be termed a universal rolling mill.

Specifically, the invention relates to a universal rolling stand including work rolls mounted for rotation about horizontal and vertical axes, positioned with their axes in vertical alignment so as to be capable of rolling I-beams or similar profiles.

Thus the invention has for an object to improve mill arrangements by providing, what can be termed a selfcontained supporting frame for the vertical rolls in combination with a tension type connection between the mill stand columns suitable to take up the rolling pressures of the vertical rolls at or near the common horizontal plane of these rolls so as to avoid deflection of the stand columns.

Therefore, the present invention has for a particular object to provide a universal roll mill or stand including horizontal and vertical rolls positioned with their axes in vertical alignment so as to roll I-beam profiles, and in which the checks or mounts for the vertical rolls are adjustably supported in a self-contained surrounding frame having approximately uniform dimensions in the rolling direction throughout its entire length.

Specifically, the present invention has for an object to provide a universal roll stand of the type described which is light in weight and includes the combination of vertically extending columns divided horizontally and interconnected by prestressed stay bolts with a supporting frame surrounding and accommodating the vertical rolls and having side members extending transversely to the rolling direction accommodated between the upper and lower parts of the columns within the dimensions of the columns, as viewed in the rolling direction.

Accordingly, the division of the columns into upper and lower parts permits the mounting of the horizontal rolls in the respective parts of the columns and provides an arrangement in which the diameter of the horizontal rolls is independent of the window width between the columns, or vice versa, and the merging of the supporting frame for the vertical rolls into the cross-sectional limits of the roll stand further reduces the window width, and thus the extent of the stand in the rolling direction. Consequently, the supporting frame, which is in effect a unitary, generally rectangular frame means surrounding the vertical rolls and their mountings can be made so that its interior dimensions, that is, the center opening when viewed in plan, is greater, in the rolling direction, than the distance between the columns that define the side window openings, which accommodate the mounts for the upper and lower horizontal rolls. Thus, the supporting frame for the mounts for the vertical rolls, and the mounts themselves can be made stronger and the total dimensions of the rolling stand can be reduced.

Basically, the supporting frame for the mounts for the vertical rolls can be cast in one piece with one of the stand components, preferably the lower. However, the essence of the invention resides in the combination of horizontally divided vertical column means accommodating upper and lower horizontal roll mounts and the rolls carried thereby, a self-contained complete frame means supporting the vertical rolls between the axes of the horiice zontal rolls in which the dimension of this frame means in the rolling direction is kept within the cross-sectional dimension in the same direction of the roll stand.

It is a specific object of the invention, to provide in combination with horizontally divided columns carrying horizontal rolls, a separate supporting frame means braced between the upper and lower column parts and carrying the vertical rolls and their mounts, this separate supporting means having vertical bores therethrough in alignment with bores through the respective column parts and stay bolts passing through the bores and connecting the column parts to one another, and holding the frame means in place. By constructing this supporting frame as a separate part independent of the column structures, the dimension of the opening in the supporting frame means that is parallel to the rolling direction can be smaller than the diameter of the horizontal rolls. Consequently, any further reduction of the constructive width of the roll stand and the weight thereof is limited only by the narrowest roll gap between the horizontal rolls, in the event the diameter of such rolls is such that the rolls would tend to strike the inner faces of the sides of the 'frame that extend transversely of the rolling di rection.

It is a further specific object to provide a universal roll stand in which the separate and unitary supporting frame for the vertical rolls is not prestressed so as to provide for the possibility of movement of this frame in a horizontal plane. This possibility of movement may exist, for example, in connection with rolling I-beam profiles in which the flange thicknesses are to deviate from that of the initial preliminarily rolled shape. In the event the supporting frame for the vertical rolls is rigidly braced, these rolls would then work with unequal pressures with the result that the rolled product would have a tendency to be crooked as it emerged from the stand. Thus, as a still more specific object, the invention provides an arrangement in which the upper and lower column parts of the rolling stand are braced together by means of interposed separate spacer pieces and the support frame for the vertical rolls with the associated roll mounts and adjusting mechanisms is mounted for sliding movement in a plane parallel with the axes of the horizontal rolls. With this arrangement permitting the possibility of movement of the intermediate supporting frame, the vertical rolls can adjust themselves automatically to an equal roll pressure, and the roll stock emerges straight.

According to a further feature of the invention and in order to always insure the same starting position for the vertical rolls when rolling stock of uniform flange thicknesses as compared with the preliminarily rolled shape, the supporting frame is held in or brought back into a definite position by spring means when there is no stock between the rolls. In some cases, when it is desired to eliminate the possibility of sliding movement of the sup porting frame, it can be rigidly fixed.

Further and more specific objects will be apparaent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings illustrating two embodiments of the invention in which:

FIGURE 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view through a rolling mill of the invention with reference to line 1-1 of FIGURE 3 but on an enlarged scale as compared with such figure, and with the :hroizontal rolls indicated diagrammatically,

FIGURE 2 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation with the left-hand half of this figure being a section at right angles to the arrangement of FIGURE 1 and as viewed with respect to section line 2--2 of FIG- URE 3 but on an enlarged scale, the right-hand half of FIGURE 2 being a front elevational view as viewed with reference to arrow A of FIGURE 3,

FIGURE 3 is a diagrammatic top plan view of the supporting frame for the vertical rolls illustrating the mounting for the vertical rolls and the adjusting devices therefor, but eliminating the spring biased means, which normally urge the roll mountings outwardly or away from the roll gap;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary vertical cross-sectional view illustrating a modified mounting of the supporting frame for the vertical rolls, the view being taken transversely through one of the stay bolts and showing spacer pieces interposed between the upper and lower column parts of the roll stand,

FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 55 of FIGURE 4,

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary view similar to FIGURE 1 illustrating a modified form of rolling stand in which the enclosed support structure or frame for the vertical rolls is integral with the lower frame member,

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary top plan view illustrating a portion of the unitary support frame for the vertical rolls, and

FIGURES 8 and 9 are fragmentary views in top plan similar to FIGURE 5 but illustrating modified arrangements for maintaining the intermediate unitary support frame in a desired position.

The rolling mill stand of the present invention includes horizontally divided frame parts held together by means of prestressed stay bolts. The stand thus includes an upper frame or column-forming part 1 and a lower frame or column-forming part 2, FIGURES 1 and 2, connected together by prestressed stay bolts 3 of which there are four as shown in FIGURE 3. Upper and lower roll chocks 6 and 7 are mounted for Vertical sliding movement between the legs of the column parts 1 and 2 respectively. The lower roll chocks are adjustable by means of adjusting screws 9. The upper roll chocks 6 are suspended from the upper cross portion of the column part 1 by a disconnectable spring-biased suspension bolt system, not shown, so that the upper roll chocks can be adjusted vertically by way of the adjusting screws 8.

The column-forming portions or legs 10!) and 200 respectively of the upper and lower stand parts 1 and 2 are made in one piece with the base of these stand parts so that they are U-shaped in cross-section. This is clear from the consideration of the showing in the right-hand side of FIGURE 2.

The vertical rolls 10 and 11 have their axels journalled in chock means 12 and 13, see FIGURES 1 and 3. The rolling pressure from the vertical rolls is absorbed by the self-contained supporting frame 16, FIGURE 3, by means of the screw means 14 and 15. This supporting frame 16 in the embodiment of FIGURES 1 to 3 is an intermediate frame means that is in effect common to both the stand or frame parts 1 and 2 because it is firmly braced in the area of the stay bolts 3 by square shaped projections 16a. The respective upper and lower frame parts 1 and 2 have projections 1a and 2a, see FIGURE 1, which extend toward one another and embrace the inner sides of the projection 160, whereas, the frame 16 has enlanged portions 16b that extend across the lateral window opening between the legs of the U-shaped components 1 and 2, FIGURE 2, and which enlarged portions or lugs are apertured as at 17 to provide the opening permitting stock to be rolled such as the shape 35, FIGURE 2. Thus, the supporting frame is not only braced between the upper and lower frame members 1 and 2, it is in effect socketed therebetween due to the relationship of the enlarged square portions 161:, the projections 1a and 2a, and the vertically enlarged portions 16b, FIG- URE 1.

The chocks or mountings 12 and 13 that accommodate the vertical rolls 10 and 11 include side portions 12, 13', FIGURE 1, the upper surfaces of which are disposed respectively beneath and above the adjacent surfaces of the ribs or ledges 1a and 2a of legs or columns 100 or 200 of the frame components 1 and 2. Wearing strips 18 and 19 are provided between these respective upper and lower surfaces and side wearing strips 20 and 21 are provided between the opposite front and rear sides of the chocks and the facing inner surfaces of the support frame 16. These strips are provided to act as guide plates and to minimize wear effect on the surfaces of the upper and lower frame parts and the facing surfaces of the support frame 16 when the roll chocks for the vertical rolls are shifted laterally. Thus, the chocks or mountings 12 and 13 are inserted into the support frame 16 before the upper frame component 1 of the roll stand is placed in position. As shown in the left side of FIG- URE 2, the mounting 12 is provided with vertically spaced apertured lugs which accommodate an apertured head h on the end of a bolt 40 and which is removably connected with the lugs by a pin 2. A Belleville spring packet S surrounds the bolt 40 and is compressed between the base of a socket provided in the frame part 16 and suitable nut means N. The arrangement is such that when the adjusting screws 14 move the chock 12 inwards, FIGURE 3, the spring packet S, FIGURE 2, is compressed so that on reverse movement of the adjusting screws 14, the roll mounts 12 are moved outwards under the force of the spring packet S. It is understood that a similar arrangement is provided in association with mounting 13.

The various adjusting screws 8 and 9 are driven by worm drives including upper and lower worm shafts 23 and 25. The lower worm shafts being coupled to the upper worm shafts by vertical drive shafts, a portion of one of which is shown at 26 in FIGURE 2. The motors for driving the various components are mounted on the top of the upper frame part 1 and the motor drive shafts impart power to the worm shafts such as 23. It being understood that there is a similar relationship at the right-hand side of the structure shown in FIGURE 2. The vertical drive shaft that turns the telescopic shaft 34 is not shown, but this vertical drive shaft is mounted in the housing parts above the upper frame part 1, there being one for each side of the mill stand so that by turning the telescopic connecting shafts 34, FIGURE 2, a vertical shaft VS, FIGURE 3, is turned, which imparts turning movement to a cross shaft CS carrying worms thereon in mesh with worm wheels, not shown, on the ends of screw shafts 14, 15 respectively. This general relationship is shown in FIGURE 3. In other words, there is a take-off drive from the various shafts at the top of the housing to the cross shafts carried by the supplementary frame 16 and the shafts in the base of the mill stand that are associated with the adjusting screws 9.

For pre-tensioning the stand, stay bolts 3 are lengthened by means of internal hydraulic pressure in order to be able to readily tighten the upper compression nuts 27, FIGURES 1 and 2. The stay bolts are tubular and contain within the same a core piece 28 having a piston head 29 at the upper end thereof. The lower end of the core is chamfered and bears against a closure plug 30 that is threaded within the lower end of the tubular stay bolt. A base 32 closes the space beneath the stay bolt. The closure plug 30 has a bore therethrough communicating with the space above the closure 32 and further bores communicating with the space exteriorly of the lower end of the stay bolt to permit the escape of any fluid which may have seeped past the packings on the piston head 29. A pressure chamber 31 is formed between the upper end of the piston head 29 and the lower surface of the top of the chamber formed within the stay bolt 3. The con struction and operation of the stay bolts is clearly set forth in prior filed application, Serial No. 760,421, filed September 11, 1958, in the names of Karl Neumann and Franz Blinn, and entitled Hydraulic Bolt Stressing Systern.

The universal roll stand of this form of the invention is assembled as follows:

A unitary support frame 16, see FIGURES l, 2 and 3,

together with the adjusting screws 14- and 15 is placed from above on to the top of the legs or columns 200 of the lower frame part 2. During this manipulation, the frame 16 is threaded over the stay bolts, which are mounted in the lower frame part 2. The plates 32 prevent these stay bolts from falling out. Next, the chocks or mountings 12 and 13 for the vertical rolls are inserted from above between guide strips 20 and 21 so that their rolled surfaces rest on the guide or wearing strips 19. After the upper wearing strips 18 are placed in position, the upper frame part 1, together with the suspended upper horizontal roll is passed over the stay bolts and placed in position, following which compression nuts are threaded on the upper ends of the stay bolts and tightened after the stay bolts have been adjusted as described and as set forth in the said prior filed application. When the pressure is relieved from pressure chamber 31, the stay bolts contract and the entire roll stand is prestressed or placed under tension.

An essential advantage of the universal roll stand according to the invention and as clear from the drawings, lies in the fact that the width of the supporting frame 16 that is the extent of this frame in the rolling direction, see arrow A FIGURE 3, and thereby the size and weight factors and thus the rigidity of the mounting for the vertical rolls is independent of the width W, see FIGURE 1, of the lateral window openings in the frame components, that is the space between the legs or columns 100 and 200 of FIGURE 1 of frame parts 1 and 2 that accommodate chocks 6 and 7 for the horizontal rolls. Conversely, the extent of the frame components 1 and 2 in the rolling direction can be made narrower, that is accommodated within the dimension in the same direction of the supporting frame 16, whereby as is readily seen in FIGURE 1 the diameter of the horizontal rolls can exceed the width W of the window openings that accommodate the chocks 6 and 7. As shown in that FIGURE, the diameter of each horizontal roll is greater than the dimension of the opening, in the rolling direction, between the facing inner surfaces of the frame parts 16b. This opening is shown at X in FIGURE 3.

In accordance with the embodiment of the invention described with reference to FIGURES 1 to 3, the independent support fr-ame 16, and thus the inserted chocks 12 and 13 are fixed when the rolls are once adjusted. This could result in the emergence of crooked stock if the flange thicknesses of the starting profile or the temperatures of the flanges in the starting profile were not uniform. In such a case the vertical rolls would work with unequal pressures. In order to eliminate this possibility, the embodiment shown in FIGURES 4 and 5 includes separate spacer pieces for transmitting the prest-ressed pressure between the frame parts 1 and 2. These separate spacer pieces 86 are of approximately square shape and are bored to accommodate the stay bolts. The spacer pieces 36 are placed in rectangular openings 37 in the supporting frame 38. Since the vertical extent of the spacers exceeds the vertical extent of the frame 38, the frame is not prestressed. As is clear in FIGURE 5, due to the dimensions of the opening 37, the supporting frame 38 has the possibility of free movement parallel to the axes of the horizontal rolls, so that the frame can automatically adjust itself to the uniform pressure of the vertical rolls.

If the intermediate support frame 38 is to be restored to a desired normal position when there is no roll stock or work piece between the rolls, the frame 38 is held between pre-tensioned spring means biased against one of the frame parts, as shown in FIGURE 8. In this figure, which is a view similar to FIGURE 5, the intermediate frame 38 is not tensioned between upper and lower parts 1 and 2, but is slidable in the horizontal direction in parallelism with the horizontal rolls. The frame parts 1 and 2 are braced by means of the intermediate spacer pieces 36 as described in connection with FIGURES 4 and 5. These spacer pieces are positioned within openings 37 provided in the intermediate frame 38. -In order to maintain the intermediate frame 38 in a normal position when there is no stock between the rolls, spring loaded bolts 45, only one of which is shown, act upon the opposite vertical faces 33a of projections 38b of the intermediate frame 38. These bolts 45 are guided in housings 46 which are fast with the lower frame part 2 of the roll stand. A shoulder 45a is acted upon by a packet of springs 47 which can be placed under desirable tension by turning 'a threaded sleeve 48 in the housing 46. The position of the sleeve 43 on the shank of the bolt 45 is fixed by manipulation of two opposed nuts 49, 50. Thus if during rolling of an I'shaped profile an unequal pressure exists on the vertical rolls 10, 11, the support frame 38 is displaced horizontally against the action of the spring means 47 until the pressure acting on the vertical rolls is equalized. This prevents emergence of a crooked rolled profile. If in some instance-s, it is desired that the support frame 48 be rigidly fixed in place with respect to the frame components 1 and 2, then the spring assemblies such as 47 in FIGURE 8 are replaced as in FIGURE 9 by a sleeve 51 which is suitably adjusted by the screw sleeves 48.

FIGURES 4 and 5 also disclose an arrangement in which the chocks or mountings 12 and 13 and the vertical rolls 10 and 11 are coupled with the intermediate support frame 38 so as to be inserted or removed together with such frame. For this purpose, the chocks such as 1 3 have lateral guide flanges 39 which rest on the lower web of an angle shaped shelf 40 provided on the interior of the frame 38. A removable cover strip 41 is applied on top of the guide strip 39. With the frame 38 in place, the removal of the cover strips 41 will permit removal of the checks or mounting pieces 12 and 13 whenever they or the vertical rolls have to be replaced. This arrangement further makes it possible to extend the mounting or guiding of the checks 12 and 13 into the space between the stands.

It is to be pointed out that the arrangement of FIG- URES l to 3 includes a frame means having upper and lower parts, each .of which include four legs or columns and 200 respectively so that they define side windows and windows facing the directions of rolling. The facing lower and upper extremities of the respective legs 100' and 200 have the ledges or projections 1a and 2a extending toward one another and extending transversely to the direction of rolling, see FIGURE 1. The supplementary frame 16 has a rectangular section and is engaged between the upper and lower extremities of the respective legs outwards of the ribs or ledges 1a and 2a so that it is firmly seated on the lower frame part 2. The supplementary frame structure in the front and rear sides there of that extends transversely to the rolling direction is enlarged vertically, see FIGURE 2 at 16b, so that the windows or openings 17 can be accommodated therein and also so that this frame part 16b is accommodated between the sides 100 and 200 of the legs 100 and 200 and which are the sides that extend parallel to the rolling direction, see the right-hand half of FIGURE 2. Thus, the supplementary frame and upper and lower surfaces of the legs or columns include cooperating recesses and project-ions, which mate or fit the component parts 1, 16 and 2, together in a definite manner. Thus, when the stay bolts 3 are stressed, the supplementary frame is securely clamped and stressed between the upper and lower frame components.

In the arrangement in FIGURES 4 and 5, the respective upper and lower surfaces of the columns of the frame parts 1 and 2 are recessed to accommodate the spacer pieces 36, so that these spacer pieces are securely positioned between the frame parts 1 and 2 and the unitary frame 38 is slid over the spacer pieces to rest on the upper surface of the columns or legs 200 of frame part 2. Since the vertical dimensions of the spacers 36 are greater than the same dimension of the frame 38, this frame can move transversely to the direction of rolling, due to the fact that the recess 37 surrounding the spacers 36 is elongated in that transverse direction.

FIGURES 6 and 7 illustrate an arrangement in which the frame structure for the vertical rolls is embodied as a unitary part of the lower frame component 2 of the rolling mill stand. In this relationship, as shown in FIGURE 7, the upper part of component 2, which accommodates the vertical rolls, is somewhat offset in the central region to permit upward removal of the horizontal roll 5. An opening for the stock to be rolled is shown at 17 in FIGURES 6 and 7 and the wear plates or guide members such as 19, 20 and 44 are likewise shown in these figures.

In both forms of the invention described above the diameter of the horizontal rolls is independent of the dimensions of the side windows, thereby permitting construction of a strong mill stand of less weight than heretofore possible in universal stands, and in which the horizontal roll diameter can be varied to a much greater extent than in conventional universal stands.

The horizontal rolls have end portions projecting laterally beyond the side windows at one side of the stand, right-hand half of FIGURE 2, which are adapted to be coupled to a suitable drive mechanism so that these rolls are driven. The vertical rolls turn by friction. Since any of the conventional driving mechanisms well known in the art can be utilized, the drive means for the horizontal rolls are not shown.

What is claimed is:

1. A universal roll stand of the type including cooperating upper and lower vertically aligned horizontal rolls and transversely spaced vertical rolls lying in a common plane with their axes in alignment with the axes of the horizontal rolls for rolling work pieces of generally I- shaped configuration, said stand including vertically spaced upper and lower frame members, each having four columns disposed at the corners of a rectangular cross section, the columns of the upper frame member being in alignment with the columns of the lower frame member, the space between the columns on opposite lateral sides of the frame members defining side windows, roll chocks in each side window, horizontal rolls carried by said roll chocks, a separate, unitary open frame positioned between said frame members, said separate, unitary, open frame including side members spaced from one another and extending parallel to the axes of the horizontal rolls, further roll chocks guided between said spaced side members for movement in a direction transverse to the direction of rolling, vertical rolls carried by said further roll chocks, the distance between the facing surfaces of said two side members being greater than the extent of said side windows in the frame members whereby said further roll chocks are guided between adjacent upper and lower surfaces of the respective columns of said frame members so that said separate, unitary, open frame is firmly seated on the upper ends of the columns of the lower frame member, means for adjusting the position of said further roll chocks, and thus the position of said vertical rolls relative to said horizontal rolls, said columns and unitary open frame having vertically aligned apertures therethrough, stay bolt means passing through said apertures for clamping the upper and lower frame members to said unitary open frame for stressing the same, said horizontal rolls having a greater diameter than the extent of said side windows in the rolling direction and the space between said side members of said unitary open frame, and said side members of said unitary open frame lying within the cross sectional limits in the direction of rolling of said upper and lower frame members.

2. A universal roll stand of the type including cooperating upper and lower vertically aligned horizontal rolls and transversely spaced vertical rolls lying in a common plane with their axes in alignment with the axes of the horizontal rolls for rolling workpieces of generally I- shaped configuration, said stand including upper and lower frame members, each frame member having four columns disposed at the corners of a rectangular cross section, the columns of the upper frame member being in alignment with the columns of the lower frame member, the space between the columns on opposite lateral sides of the frame members defining side windows, roll chocks in each side window, horizontal rolls carried by said roll chocks, a unitary, generally rectangular, open horizontal frame integral with the columns of one frame member, said open frame including side members spaced from one another and extending parallel to the axes of said horizontal rolls, further roll chocks guided between said spaced side members for movement in a direction transverse to the direction of rolling, vertical rolls carried by said further roll chocks, the distance between the facing surfaces of said side members being greater than the width of said side windows in said frame members, whereby said further roll chocks are guided between adjacent upper and lower surfaces of the respective columns of said frame members, means for adjusting the position of said further roll chocks and thus the position of said vertical rolls relative to said horizontal rolls, said side members having openings for the passage of work pieces between said horizontal and vertical rolls, said columns having vertically aligned apertures therethrough, stay bolt means passing through said apertures for clamping said upper and lower frame members together and stressing the same, said horizontal rolls having a greater diameter than the width of said guide windows and the space between said side members.

3. A universal roll stand as defined in claim 2, in which the intermediate portions of said side members in alignment with said horizontal rolls are offset outwardly to provide for insertion or removal of said horizontal rolls.

4. A universal roll stand of the type including cooperating upper and lower vertically aligned horizontal rolls and transversely spaced vertical rolls lying in a common plane with their axes in alignment with the axes of the horizontal rolls for rolling workpieces of generally I- shaped configuration, said stand including vertically spaced upper and lower frame members, each frame member having four columns disposed at the corners of a rectangualr cross section, the columns of said upper frame members being in alignment with the columns on opposite lateral sides of said frame members defining side windows, roll chocks in each side window, horizontal rolls carried by said roll chocks, spacer blocks between the columns of said upper and lower frame members, a separate, unitary, generally rectangular, open horizontal frame disposed between said frame members, said separate frame including side members spaced from one another and extending parallel to the axes of said horizontal rolls, said side members having a vertical dimension less than the height of said blocks and having vertical apertures being of a size to permit horizontal movement of said separate frame in a direction parallel to the axes of said horizontal rolls, further roll chocks guided between said spaced side members for movement in a direction transverse to the direction of rolling, vertical rolls carried by said further roll chocks, the distance between the facing surfaces of said side members being greater than the width of said side windows in said frame members, whereby said further roll chocks are guided between adjacent upper and lower surfaces of the respective columns of said frame members, means for adjusting the position of said further roll chocks and thus the position of said vertical rolls relative to said horizontal rolls, said columns and said blocks having vertically aligned apertures therethrough, stay bolt means passing through said apertures for clamping said upper and lower frame members and said blocks together, said horizontal rolls having a greater diameter than the width of said side windows and the space between said side members and said side windows lying within the cross sectional limits in the direction of rolling of said upper and lower frame members.

5. A universal r011 stand as defined in claim 4, in which spring means is provided for urging said separate frame in one horizontal direction parallel to the axes of said horizontal rolls.

6. A universal roll stand as defined in claim 4, in which means is provided for fixing said separate frame in a horizontal position relative to said horizontal rolls.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Roberts July 26, 19211 Hein July 1, 1924 Byerlein Sept. 18, 1934 Wheeler Dec. 15, 1936 Breuer May 1, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Jan. 4, 1870 

1. A UNIVERSAL ROLL STAND OF THE TYPE INCLUDING COOPERATING UPPER AND LOWER VERTICALLY ALIGNED HORIZONTAL ROLLS AND TRANSVERSELY SPACED VERTICAL ROLLS LYING IN A COMMON PLANE WITH THEIR AXES IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE AXES OF THE HORIZONTAL ROLLS FOR ROLLING WORK PIECES OF GENERALLY ISHAPED CONFIGURTION, SAID STAND INCLUDING VERTICALLY SPACED UPPER AND LOWER FRAME MEMBERS, EACH HAVING FOUR COLUMNS DISPOSED AT THE CORNERS OF A RECTANGULAR CROSS SECTION, THE COLUMNS OF THE UPPER FRAME MEMBER BEING IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE COLUMNS OF THE LOWER FRAME MEMBER, THE SPACE BETWEEN THE COLUMNS ON OPPOSITE LATERAL SIDES OF THE FRAME MEMBERS DEFINING SIDE WINDOWNS, ROLL CHOCKS IN EACH SIDE WINDOW, HORIZONTAL ROLLS CARRIED BY SAID ROLL CHOCKS, A SEPARATE, UNITARY OPEN FRAME POSITIONED BETWEEN SAID FRAME MEMBERS, SAID SEPARATE, UNITARY, OPEN FRAME INCLUDING SIDE MEMBERS SPACED FROM ONE ANOTHER AND EXTENDING PARALLEL TO THE AXES OF THE HORIZONTAL ROLLS, FURTHER ROLL CHOCKS GUIDED BETWEEN SAID SPACED SIDE MEMBERS FOR MOVEMENT IN A DIRECTION TRANSVERSE TO THE DIRECTION OF ROLLING, VERTICAL ROLLS CARRIED BY SAID FURTHER ROLL CHOCKS, THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE FACING SURFACES OF SAID TWO SIDE MEMBERS BEING GREATER THAN THE EXTEND OF SAID SIDE WINDOWS IN THE FRAME MEMBERS WHEREBY SAID FURTHER ROLL CHOCKS ARE GUIDED BETWEEN ADJACENT UPPER AND LOWER SURFACES OF THE RESPECTIVE COLUMNS OF SAID FRAME MEMBERS TO THAT SAID SEPARATE, UNITARY, OPEN FRAME IS FIRMLY SEATED ON THE UPPER ENDS OF THE COLUMNS OF THE LOWER FRAME MEMBER, MEANS FOR ADJUSTING THE POSTION OF SAID FURTHER ROLL CHOCKS, AND THUS THE POSITION OF SAID VERTICAL ROLLS RELATIVE TO SAID HORIZONTAL ROLLS, AND COLUMNS AND UNITARY OPEN FRAME HAVING VERTICALLY ALIGNED APERTURES THERETHROUGH, STAY BOLT MEANS PASSING THROUGH SAID APERTURES FOR CLAMPING THE UPPER AND LOWER FRAME MEMBERS TO SAID UNITARY OPEN FRAME FOR STRESSING THE SAME SAID HORIZONTAL ROLLS HAVING A GREATER DIAMETER THAN THE EXTENT OF SAID SIDE WINDOWS IN THE ROLLING DIRECTION AND THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID SIDE MEMBERS OF SAID UNITARY OPEN FRAME, AND SAID SIDE MEMBERS OF SAID UNITARY OPEN FRAME LYING WITHIN THE CROSS SECTIONAL LIMITS IN THE DIRECTION OF ROLLING OF SAID UPPER AND LOWER FRAME MEMBERS. 